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T.` WRIGHTSON. APPQRATUS FUR DISCHARGING COAL INTO SHIPS HOLDS.

(Application led Dec. 28, 1897.) No Modem 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

fno; 612,297. Patented o'ct. n, |893".V

|| Il dm No. s|2,297. Patented ont. n, |898. T. wmsmson. APPARATUS FUR IHSGHARGINGr CQAL INTO SHIPS HOLDS.

(Application lerd Dec. 28, 1897.)

4 Shets-Sheet 2.

SND Model.)

witnesses Inventor W '+G- WD C lttolrneys No. 6|2,297.' Patented oct. Il, |893.

-' T. wmGHTsoN.

APPARATUS FUR DISGHARGING COAL INTO SHIPS HOLDS.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

4 sheets-sheet 3.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. Il, |898.

T. WHIGHTSN. APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING COAL INTO SHIPS' HOLDS.

` (Application led Dec. 28, 1897.) rNo Modem 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Inventor (lttorne UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WRIGIITSON, OF NEASIIAM, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING COAL INTO SHIPS HOLDS.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 612,297, dated october 11, 1898. Appnwtion inea December 28,1887. serial No. 884,678. (N8 model.) rttentea in England January 17,1898,N0.'1,191.

To all whom/'it may concern: p

Be it known that I, THOMAS WRIGHTsoN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Neasham, in the county of Durham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Discharging Coal into Ships Holds, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent of Great Britain, dated January 17, 1896, No. 1,1913) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-- tion of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for discharging coal from a truck, hopper, or belt, or other receptacle for storage of coal on the stathes or quay side into a ships hold.

The conditions under which coal usually has to be charged from the trucks into a ships hold result in material damage to the coal from breakage, owing to the considerable and violent descent of the coal from one level to another. Existing arrangements also require a considerable amount of labor in trimming the coal to the parts of the hold away from the hatchway, involving a further breakage of the coal in shoveling and handling. Furthermore, the dierenoe between the level of delivery from the truck or chute on the quay side or stathes and the level of discharge within the ships hold varies, according to the state of the tide and other well-known causes, to such an extent that the discharging machine or apparatus must be adapted to accommodate itself to such differences of level or be comparatively useless for controlling the descent of the coal into the ships hold.

The object of my invention is to construct a machine or apparatus which, While it can be readily adjusted to such differences 4between the levels of delivery and discharge,

will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

' Figure lis a side elevation of a machine or apparatus for discharging coal into a ships .hold constructed in accordance with my inlvention. Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation,

ldrawn to an enlarged scale, showing the connection between the shore-belt and the intermediate belt. Fig. 2tL is an end elevation of the part shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the mounting of the masthead. Fig. 3 is a sec tional elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the connection between the intermediate belt and the hanging belt. It will be observed that this intermediate belt is shown in the level position in Fig. 1, and in Figs. 2 and 3 it is inclined at such angles as are in,

tended to be used when required.

In `carrying out my invention I use a sysunderstood and readily carried into eect, I

This system ofbelts consists of a receivingy or shore belt a, which extends for a considerable length, so that the coal can be discharged y onto the belt a :from the truck, hopper, or belt or other receptacle for the coal. This shore-belt may be level, as shown, or it may be inclined from the source of supply and the coal may be delivered onto it from a chute at any angle with an open end, so that as the coal accumulates on the belt it is drawn away gradually by the forward motion of the belt. Anintermediate belt b, which, together with its framing, forms a jib, is placed contiguous to and is` connected with or made continuous to the first or receiving belt a by means of a chute c or other equivalent end-to-end arrangement. This intermediate belt b is, with nection with Jthe framework of the structure and of suitable height to permit of the raising or lowering of the jib b, which Works on a pin or hinged joint b at the inner end. The

jib may thus be adjusted to any required inoline, like the jib of a derrick-crane. Provision is` also preferably made to enable it to lswing to a Vcertain extent round to the right ICO or left and with it the masthead e. This masthead comprises uprights e e, one on either side of the carrier, and in order that it may swing with the jib b it is mounted on pivots e' e2 at the top and bottom, respectively, of the structure, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, Another belt f, with its inclosed casing or trunk, is slung from a pivot or hinged connection b2 at the outer end of the intermediate belt b, so that it can be drawn from the vertical position either backward or forward by suitable tackle. The system of endless belts being thus arranged relatively to each other, the coal is discharged onto the shore-belt a and is carried along on this belt and is teemed over and upon the jib-belt b, which may be furnished with a succession of cleats or ledges b3, as shown in Fig. 3, or their equivalents to enable the coal to lodge thereon and be carried along with the belt to be discharged onto shelves or trays f', provided on the hanging belt f, from which it is deposited in the hold of the ship.

The shelves or trays f', provided on the hanging endless belt j, may be of any form or construction which will adapt them to receive the coal as it falls from the second or intermediate belt b; but inasmuch as the secdirection required to trim the coal over a sufflc'ient area of the ships hold, I have devised an arrangement of trays or shelves specially adapted for the purposes of my invention. By this arrangement as each shelf or tray turns over the upper bend of the belt f into the position to receive the coal from the belt b above the next shelf or tray in succession comes up behind it, so that the two shelves or trays, with the intervening portion of belt and the iXed sides of the framing all taken together, form a temporary moving hopper of changing form, -on the descending side of which the coal is lodged and carried down. The back tray of the hopper in turning over the bend of the beltbecomes the receiver of another discharge of .coal from the belt above, the next shelf or tray behind making up the form of a hopper, as before, and so on in continuous succession. The ledges or cleats b3 on the jib-belt are preferably pitched in some cases to correspond with the succession of hoppers so formed by the shelves or trays on the bottom trunk-belt. The hanging belt j" is driven from the intermediate belt b by suitable gearing, and the speed of the hanging belt is thus at all times adapted to that of the intermediate belt, provision being made that the belts are geared together so that the lineal velocity may have a distributing eect as the coal is passed from belt to belt. The first or receiving belt a and the second or intermediate belt1 b may both be driven by any suitable means, such as by an engine fixed in position at the main shaft g of which drives the miter `and bevel wheels connected to the driving-roller of each belt,which engine would also be available for working the derrick chain or guide d of the intermediate belt by means of the worm h, thrown in and out of gear, as required, and the same engine may, if desired, be used for turning the jib-belt about its inner end to the right or left; but it will be found convenient in practice to mount theengine on one platform with the framework and driving-gear of the first belt, the spindle b of the inner or driving roller of the second or intermediate belt being journaled into the mast or center post e, erected at the outer end of the said platform to carry the guy or derrick-chain or rope. By mounting the platform on wheels also driven from the rsame engine or motor-which works the belts my improved'apparatus or machine becomes a locomotive which can be run into or out of position and operated as required from its own motive power, and an apparatus so constructed will of course be applicable generally for lowering materials from one level to another, in the manner hereinbefore described with reference to coal.

Referring to Fig. 2, in which I have illustrated in detail an arrangement of chutes for breaking t-he fall of coal between the shorebelt and the `iib-belt, c is a narrow chute hinged on the fixed framing of the shore-belt c2. The under chute is supported on the two arms c8 and c4, therformer pivoted' upon the cheek-plates at each VVside of jib and the latter upon the jib itself in such a way that as the jib is made to rise the under chute c2 moves upward round center c3. The dotted lines show the position of chute when the jib is in its highest working position.

f Referring to Fig. 3, in which I have illustrated to an enlarged scale an arrangement which may be adopted for diminishing and controlling the fall of coal into the trays of the vertical belt, j is a hinged baflier guided in a slot j and controlled by a system of levers 7c 7o k2 7c3, attached to a weight Z, hanging upon a spring mand moving in a dashpot n at either side of the framework. Another object of the baifier is to prevent the coal getting in between the corner of the chute at o and the under lip of the descending tray. The shore and jib belts are furnished with rollers p for guiding same, and slide-blocks q are furnished on all the belts connected to adjustable spindles r for adj usting the tension on the said belts. In order to enable the trays or shelves of the hanging belt to retain their rigidity when charged with coal, I furnish them with small rollers s, which enter into a groove tin the framework on the descending side as the hanging belt revolves.

The nature of my invention will' be fully understood from the foregoing description; but the construction and combination of parts can be modified and varied without depart- IOO IIO

ing from the essential features thereof. For instance, it may be desirable in some cases, and especially where the difference between the levels of delivery and discharge is only moderate, to construct what has been described as the receiving and intermediate or jib belts in one long belt, which may be rigid tothe outer end and capable of being tilted to dierent inclines or may be constructed with part of itslength free to lift up and down, like a separate jib-belt, suitable provision being made to convey the belt round an angle or joint.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an apparatus for discharging coal into a ships hold, the combination with a series of endless carriers pivotally connected with the receiving end of each at a lower level than the adjacent discharging end of the preceding carrier; gearing between said carriers; and means for varying the angular` relations of said carriers; of adjustable hinged plates arranged and operating between the adjacent ends of said carriers whereby the fall of the heavy particles in passing from the end of one carrier to the other, is broken, substantially as described..

2. In an apparatus for loading coal into a ships hold, the combination with a supporting-frame, an endless carrier mounted upon said frame and adapted to receive the material to be conveyed; and uprights mounted upon said frame; of a chute pivotally mounted in said uprights; an endless carrier mounted in said chute; means for swinging said chute vertically; a chute pivotally suspended from the swinging end of said first chute; an endless carrier provided with buckets mounted in said pendent chute; a housing inclosing the adjacent ends of said chutes; a ,hinged bathe-plate mounted in said housing and act- V`lng as a guide for the material passing down the vert-ical carrier, and a yielding device acting upon said hinged battle-plate in opposition to the force of the pressure of such material upon said plate, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for discharging coal into a ships hold, the combination with a supporting-frame an endless carrier mounted thereon a swinging chute pivoted at one end upon said supporting-frame beneath the delivery end of said carrier, and means for supporting and swinging said chute; an endlesscarrier running through said chute; a pair of cheekplates mounted upon the sides of said carriers at their adjacent ends; an inclined plate hinged between said cheek-plates for the passage of the material from the first to the second carrier; links pivoted to said swingingv chute and to said hinged plate, and arranged to vary the inclination of said plate as the vertical inclination of said swinging chute is varied; a pendent chute pivotally suspended from the Swingin g end of said swin ging chute, and an endless carrier running through said pendent chute, substantially as described.

Y 4. In an apparatus for loading coal into a ships hold, the combination with a supporting-frame a chute pivotally mounted in said frame; an endless carrier running through said chute; and means for swinging said chute vertically and horizontally; of a second chute pivotally suspended from the swinging end of the first chute; an endless carrier provided with buckets, running through said pendent chute, and means for breaking the fall of the material as it passes from the end of the first chute to the pendent chute, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS WRIGHTSON. Witnesses:

GEORGE JAMES CLARKsoN, EDWARD THoMs ELCOAT. 

